If a teacher asked you to design something that could help people in need, what would you create? 

When 11-year-old Rebecca Young received this assignment for a school project, she wanted to help people experiencing homelessness in her home city of Glasgow, Scotland. Rebecca knew they needed something to help them keep warm during the cold winters. She wondered, what if they could have a portable warming device? 

Rebecca designed a solar-powered backpack that can charge an electric blanket inside the backpack. Solar panels on the backpack collect the Sun’s energy and turn it into electricity to power the blanket. This gives the backpack wearer a warm blanket anywhere they need one. 

“The idea came from seeing how hard it is for people living on the streets of Glasgow, especially during winter, and wanting to create something that could make a real difference,” Rebecca, who is now 13, told The Guardian.

Rebecca’s backpack design won an engineering award in the United Kingdom. An engineering company used her design to make 30 backpacks with blankets. The company donated the backpacks to charities that help Glasgow residents who are experiencing homelessness.

Now, Rebecca is among the 10 young people named in Time magazine’s Girls of the Year list, which recognizes young leaders who are inspiring their communities. 

“Knowing that something I came up with is helping others makes me feel really proud. By seeing themselves as builders, girls can challenge norms, pursue any passion, and shape the world,” said Rebecca.